Farmer hacked with axe, kidnapped, tortured in overnight ordeal

Police are investigating and gathering forensic evidence after a brutal farm attack on Saturday evening 14 April 2018, at approximately 19:00, in the Addo area.

An elderly farmer, Bill Gravett, (63) was confronted and attacked with an axe by three black assailants who were waiting for him when he arrived home. He was hacked and severely beaten when he was opening the security gates. He was interrogated regarding the neighbors farm belonging to Elizabeth de Villiers that he also looks after. He was forced and taken to this farm in his bakkie and forced to open up.

Both farmhouses were ransacked and had firearms and safes stolen and the goods were loaded onto the farmers bakkie.

The farmer was continually beaten and interrogated as the assailants were looking for the woman from this neighboring farm. The attackers went to her bedroom with the axe but fortunately she was not home.

The farmer was then tied up and along with all the stolen goods was loaded onto the bakkie and taken to a local ATM where he was forced to withdraw money. There was a continual discussion by the attackers as to whether they should kill him or not, with two of them insisting that he should me murdered.

The attackers then took him to an unknown house somewhere in Motherwell where he was bound and kept overnight in a severe condition.

The farmers credit cards were used the following morning at a shopping centre in Port Elizabeth. The attackers then decided not to kill him but drove to a nearby petrol station and left him tied up in the vehicle. He managed to free himself and drive, whilst extremely traumatised and seriously injured, back to his neighbors farm. He arrived covered in blood and called for help.

The neighbors who had also arrived on the farm, assisted and called the ambulance and police. This farmer, Elizabeth de Villiers, late husband, Andre de Villiers, was brutally shot dead in front of the
family in cold blood many years ago in a farm attack/murder in Addo.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact SAPS Addo on (042) 233-8803 or Crime Stop on 08600-10111.

Article originally appeared on Whatsapp group – farming region of Addo & Kirkwood